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Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo

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Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationAnglican
ScriptureHoly Bible
TheologyAnglican doctrine
PolityEpiscopal
PrimateGeorges Titre Ande
AssociationsAnglican Communion, GAFCON, Global South
HeadquartersKinshasa
TerritoryDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo
Membersc. 500,000
Official websitehttp://www.anglicancongo.org/

The Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo (French: Province de l'Église anglicane du Congo) is a province of the Anglican Communion, stretching over the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.

History

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Formal Anglican structures were established in Boga-Zaire from the 1930s. Metropolitical authority came from the Archbishop of Canterbury until in 1965 the 'Province of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire' was established.[1] Following expansion, Uganda became an independent province, leaving the rest of the region as the 'Province of Rwanda, Burundi, and Zaire'.[2] In 1992 the three countries of the united Province each gained independence under their own individual Metropolitan Archbishop, and the Church of the Province of Zaire came into existence. Their first Archbishop was Patrice Njojo. In 1997, to reflect the change in name of the nation, the church became known as the Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo. Archbishop Njojo was succeeded by Fidèle Dirokpa in 2003, who held office until 2009. The Most Rev. Henri Isingoma was elected the third Archbishop of the Congo on April 28, 2009.[3] Most of the Congolese Anglicans lives in the eastern Swahili speaking region of the country, the most damaged part of Congo due to two civil wars.[4] The Diocese of Kinshasa also includes part of the Republic of the Congo.[5]

Archbishop of the Congo

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The Archbishop of the Congo, known as Zaire until 1997, is both Metropolitan and Primate. The holders of the office have been:

Dioceses

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The Anglican Church of the Congo has 14 dioceses with one missionary area in Kalemie.

Anglican realignment

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The Anglican Church of the Congo is a member of the Global South and the Global Anglican Future Conference, and is involved at the Anglican realignment. In June 2012, Archbishop Henri Isingoma attended the Provincial Assembly of the Anglican Church in North America, in Ridgecrest, North Carolina, to show is full support for the new province in creation of the Anglican Communion.[7] While involved in the Anglican realignment, the Anglican Church of the Congo has also shared ministry partnerships and continued to share communion with The Episcopal Church, based in the US.[8][9] Additionally, the Anglican Church of the Congo, in 2015, reaffirmed its membership in the Anglican Communion, including with The Episcopal Church.[10]

On April 29, 2012, Henri Isingoma expressed his official approval for the temporary admission of the Anglican Mission in the Americas, a former missionary organization of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, at the Anglican Church of Congo until his future was clarified.[11] After that period, Isingoma stated that the Anglican Church of the Congo would work with the AMiA exclusively as a Missionary Society.[12]

Archbishop Isingoma attended GAFCON II, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 21 to 26 October 2013.[13] The province was represented at GAFCON III, held in Jerusalem, on 17–22 June 2018, by a 34 members delegation.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Congo Church Association - History". congochurchassn.org.uk.
  2. ^ "Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi". Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
  3. ^ "The Anglican Planet - International News - Congo elects new primate". anglicanplanet.net. Archived from the original on 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
  4. ^ "New Congo Primate Elected: CEN 5.01.09 p". Conger. 2 May 2009.
  5. ^ "Congo Church Association - History". congochurchassn.org.uk.
  6. ^ "Weekly News Summary on Tuesday 14 July 2020".
  7. ^ "Anglican Church in North America". anglicanchurch.net.
  8. ^ "Congo victims find healing in Anglican church". Anglican Journal. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  9. ^ "Global Mission". Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  10. ^ "Concern: Illegal consecrations for the PACC" (PDF). Province De L'Eglise Anglicane du Congo. April 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  11. ^ "Congo to give a temporary home to the AMiA: The Church of England Newspaper, April 29, 2012 p 7". Conger. 4 May 2012.
  12. ^ "CONGO: Anglican Archbishop ends Partnership with AMIA - Virtueonline – The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism". virtueonline.org.
  13. ^ "Nairobi Cathedral welcomes Primates for GAFCON 2013 - News". gafcon.org.
  14. ^ GAFCON III largest pan-Anglican gathering since Toronto Congress of 1963, Anglican Ink, 20 June 2018

Further reading

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  • Anglicanism, Neill, Stephen. Harmondsworth, 1965.
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